Faux surplus delivers weak tax break

In his editorial today, Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase of the Lewiston Tribune comments:

Since Idaho House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, does not have a real budget surplus to work with, he cannot deliver a real tax cut.

The state may be $130 million ahead at the moment. But that money would be gone in a flash if Moyle and his colleagues went to work addressing all of Idaho’s needs.

For instance, there’s still another $153 million due on the five-year public school reform package Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has embraced. Even so, public schools are about 1 percent ahead of inflation. More here.